Top London Conservative backs Brian Paddick

The story is over on Brian Paddick’s website:

Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick today received a major boost to his campaign as the previous Chairman of the London Conservative Party resigned to join the Liberal Democrats.

Dirk Hazell, whose tenure as Chairman saw the greatest electoral success for the party in London, said the Tories could not be trusted to deliver freedom, justice, or probity:

“London needs real change. Not the ‘Norris to Boris’ downgrade but a Mayor with insight and experience from a vocation protecting law-abiding Londoners: Brian Paddick.

“I left the Tories because they are as dodgy as Labour, because their environmental pretensions are phoney and because their Europhobia harms Britain.

“I joined the Liberal Democrats because only Liberal Democrat principles and only principled Liberal Democrats like Brian Paddick will make Britain fair, free and green.”